Is It Time for a Paradigm Shift in the Surgical Management of Trigeminal Schwannomas? Evaluating the Role of the Transorbital Approach: An Anatomo-Clinical Study and Systematic Literature Review.

Background: Endoscopic transorbital approach emerged in recent years as an effective, minimally invasive route to access Meckel's cave area. Several case series proved its effectiveness in the surgical treatment of trigeminal schwannomas. This route provides the advantages of a minimally invasive approach associated with low morbidity rates.

Cerebrovascular disorders and Fahr's disease: Report of two cases and literature review.

Fahr's disease is a rare idiopathic nosological entity, characterized by calcification of the basal ganglia and dentate nuclei of the cerebellum. Sometimes it may be associated to other diseases like cerebrovascular disorders. However, this link remains unclear and it needs to be further validated.

Fluorescein-assisted stereotactic needle biopsy of brain tumors: a single-center experience and systematic review.

Over the last years, fluorescence-based technology has begun an emergent intraoperative method for diagnostic confirmation of brain tumor tissue in stereotactic needle biopsy. However, the actual level of evidence is quite low, especially about fluorescein sodium (FL) application. This method needs to be further validated and better analyzed about its impact in clinical practice.

Deregulated expression and activity of Farnesyl Diphosphate Synthase (FDPS) in Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive brain cancer, is highly dependent on the mevalonate (MVA) pathway for the synthesis of lipid moieties critical for cell proliferation but the function and regulation of key intermediate enzymes like farnesyl-diphosphate synthase (FDPS), up to now, remained unknown. A deregulated expression and activity of FDPS was the central research idea of the present study. FDPS mRNA, protein and enzyme activity were analyzed in a cohort of stage III-IV glioma patients (N = 49) and primary derived cells.

Fluorescein-Guided Surgery for High-Grade Glioma Resection: An Intraoperative "Contrast-Enhancer".

Background: Fluorescein sodium salt is widely used in medicine as fluorescein isothiocyanate and commonly named fluorescein (FL). This fluorophore has been used as a fluorescent tracer for many applications, especially in ophthalmic surgery. It was initially used in neuro-oncology in 1948 to control tumor resection margins.

Antiglioma effects of N6-isopentenyladenosine, an endogenous isoprenoid end product, through the downregulation of epidermal growth factor receptor.

Malignant gliomas are highly dependent on the isoprenoid pathway for the synthesis of lipid moieties critical for cell proliferation. The isoprenoid derivative N6-isopentenyladenosine (iPA) displays pleiotropic biological effects, including a direct anti-tumor activity in several tumor models. The antiglioma effects of iPA was then explored in U87MG cells both in vitro and grafted in mice and the related molecular mechanism confirmed in primary derived patients' glioma cells.

The use of a three-dimensional endoscope for different skull base tumors: results of a preliminary extended endonasal surgical series.

Background: The evolution of skull base surgery over the past decade has been influenced by advancement in visualization technology. Recently, as a result of such improvements, three-dimensional (3-D) scopes have been widely used during endoscopic endonasal approaches. In the present study, we describe the use of 3-D stereoscopic endoscope for the treatment of a variety of skull base lesions.

Treatment of Chiari malformation: who, when and how.

There is no effective alternative to surgery in the treatment of the symptomatic cases of chiari malformation. Nonetheless, in literature there is no unanimous consensus about what is the surgical "gold standard" and which are the candidates for surgery. No doubt that intracranial hypertension and ventricular dilatation have to be investigated and treated before considering decompression.

Endoscopy versus microsurgical cyst excision and shunting for treating intracranial arachnoid cysts.

Object: Endoscopic surgery is routinely used to treat intracranial arachnoid cysts. However, the indications and results with respect to the different cyst locations, compared with those of microsurgical fenestration and cyst shunting, deserve to be discussed.

Methods: The authors review 18 patients with intracranial arachnoid cysts treated by pure endoscopic technique in their neurosurgical department.

Recurrent acute obstructive hydrocephalus as clinical onset of cerebral Whipple's disease.

Whipple's disease is a rare multisystemic infection caused by the intracellular bacteria Thropheryma whippelii. Central nervous system (CNS) involvement is not rare. The most frequent CNS manifestations are cognitive and behavioural changes, sopranuclear ophtalmoplegia, myoclonus, epilepsy, ataxia, meningitis and focal cerebral palsy.

Combined endoscopic and microsurgical removal of a giant cystic craniopharyngioma in a six-year-old boy.

Giant cystic craniopharyngiomas are rare lesions whose clinical and surgical management is extremely challenging, often requiring more than one craniotomy before obtaining a satisfying removal. We report one case of a giant cystic craniopharyngioma completely excised with a two-step combined use of a minimally invasive endoscopic approach followed by a single microsurgical transcranial procedure. A six-year-old boy presented with symptoms of increased intracranial pressure and posterior fossa involvement.